Some contemporary computing (including communication) devices use vibration to provide haptic feedback to users, such as haptic feedback in conjunction with user interaction, or to signal a user of some event such as an incoming communication, game event, and so forth. A typical way that this is accomplished is by energizing a motor that is coupled to an eccentrically positioned weight.
In some situations, the amount of haptic feedback can change. For example, when playing a game, a faster or slower pulsing sensation may convey a sense of urgency or unease with respect to some game playing situation that the user is currently experiencing. To this end, the device increases or decreases the motor's rotational frequency such that the weight spins faster or slower.
The haptic feedback is thus based on the rotational frequency, and is essentially directed to some target vibration area of the device such that the feedback is typically sensed relatively uniformly. Thus, outputting haptic feedback on contemporary devices is relatively limited with respect to the amount of information that is able to be conveyed.